The Fine Wine Experience: Château Batailley with Philippe Casteja
Institute of Directors, London
Tasted Tuesday, June 10, 2008 by andrewstevenson.com with 2,370 views
Institute of Directors, London
Tasted Tuesday, June 10, 2008 by andrewstevenson.com with 2,370 views
2005 Château Batailley 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Quite a subtle nose with black fruit and a general tobacco overtone, almost tending to ashtrays. Quite open on the palate and approachable. Good structure with fine-grained tannins towards and on the finish. Very good length - very persistent fruit and pencils flavours linger long after. Very Good Indeed.
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2004 Château Batailley 89 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
This has a much dumber nose than the 2005. Possibly there's some slightly more pronounced blackcurrant fruit, but it's hard to find, until really aerated, when there's even a hint of chocolate. Much firmer and leaner on the palate than the 2005, with greener fruit and much more prominent, and much grippier tannins.
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2002 Château Batailley 90 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
A very fine and elegant nose with blackcurrants, some blueberry and a layer of pencil shavings. Quite fruit forward on the attack, but then it goes into a background of a complex structure with some firm spicy tannins. But overall it's pretty well integrated and pleasing.
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2001 Château Batailley 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
There seems to be some notable minerality on the nose of this, and much less of the cedary notes. There are still some black fruit scents, but they're very elegant and restrained. It's really nice on the palate: very precise and focussed and feeling nicely integrated. Very nice finish, with really good length. Possibly not as long a keeper as the 2002 and the 2004. But definitely the best of the three for drinking now.
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2000 Château Batailley 88 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
This has charming fresh fruit on the nose, feeling nicely integrated. very even and integrated, but there's also a fresh garden herb note somewhere between mint, sage and marjoram. With aeration, there's a curious lactic hint on the nose. Rich and forward in the mouth. This has very mouthfilling ripe fruit and a chocolatey richness, but manages to retain an air of elegance. But it doesn't quite have the backbone of 01, 02 and 05.
Going back to this glass after a while, the lactic hint seems to be making itself felt on the palate too.
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1995 Château Batailley 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Initially, there's sawdust on the nose, then black fruits and a bit of leather. Really nice and fresh on the attack. Very complex palate with great depth and pretty firm, grippy tannins, with the tannins really persisting at the front of the mouth and on the lips. Very Good Indeed.
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1990 Château Batailley 86 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
This is looking remarkably mature. A strang nose: there are black fruits and cedar for sure, but there's also some pine, some toilet cleaner and some stale cigar ash. Fresh and open on the palate initially, possibly feeling a touch volatile. Then it resolves into a rich velvety black fruit palate. This doesn't really satisfy me. I wonder if there's a fault in this, but nobody else (including Philippe Casteja) agrees, so it must just be a bit rubbish. Definitely one to drink up.
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1989 Château Batailley 94 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
This is possibly a touch younger looking than the 1990, but hardly. There's a very rounded, even, mature Pauillac feel to the nose. It has a very satisfying feel on the attack, which carries throughout the palate. There's a really nice, silky mouthfeel and a good tannic bite right on the finish. Lovely depth and complexity.
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1982 Château Batailley 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
A lightish mature colour. Gorgeousnose - very fine and elegant, with delicate feminine black fruit - very integrated. But there is a slight metallic edge too. Remarkably rich on the attack, it then manages to refine itself a bit on the palate as it sits in the mouth. Sandy tannins on the finish.
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1966 Château Batailley 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
A mature appearance, taking on a mahogany tinge. It's a touch stinky on the nose, but gives way to a lovely old lady claret feel with chocolate plums, stewed tea and a savoury, umami, Worcester Sauce lift. Very elegant, integrated palate. Very alive and even a bit kicking. There's a slightly funky feel to the fruit character on the palate. Very silky, gossamer mouthfeel.
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1961 Château Batailley 95 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
This is a very colour and overall appearance to the 1961. Impressive nose: a touch gamey, with almost cherry fruit alongside the blackcurrant. It actually has a bit of a feel of a nebbiolo to it. Lovely palate, feeling much more normal than the 1966. Very, very drinkable with great pleasure.
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1947 Château Batailley Flawed
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
There are stewed tea, prunes and VA on the nose, which gradually turns into corkinees and develops continuously, becoming worse and worse until it's feeling badly corked. Corky palate. But there is some sweet fruit in there, just detectable which augurs well for anyone that has a bottle.
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1937 Château Batailley 88 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Gosh, this is really not looking that much more mature than the 1961 or 1947. It has a remarkably powerful bitter cocoa nose, backed up by a feel of the souk and the spice market. On the palate, it's old, and a touch stewed and some sweet, slightly volatile fruit. It ends with lots of sandy tannins on the finish
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